Internal combustion engine



Jan. 6, 1942. .J. J. MCCARTHY v 2,269,084

INTERNAL COMBUSTIONv ENGINE Filed May 3; 1941 2 Sheets-:Sheet 1 INvENLfiR:

E @fQZZiLQ I I i Jan. 6, 1942. J. J. MCCARTHY 2,259,034

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE V Filed May 3 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illllll'llllll "W wai IN'VENJ'EII/ W W Patented Jan. 6, 1942 UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE I INTERNAL (iii-3:32; ENGINE I A .,-..Z:I.1':f 21 31121313313... 4 Claims. (01. 123-32) invention relates to internal combustion.

engines, and more particularly to engines of the compression-ignition and solid-injection type.

It is a primary aim and object of the present invention to provide for a quicker and more thorough atomization of injected fuel oil in a cylincler than was heretofore possible.

It is another object of the present invention to prevent the injected fuel from hitting against the usually cooled cylinder wall and leave carbon ably on the head of a working piston in a cylinder a plurality of ribs which are so coordinated as to re-direct the flowing intake air in the cylin Fig. 3 is another fragmentary section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, perspective view. of the working piston in the cylinder shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section through a cylinder, illustrating a modified emgine that embodies the present invention.

der chamber to form a vortex during the inward stroke of said piston. The head of the 7 working piston is further provided with a curved battle which bounds the vortex over part of! its periphery and forms a hot spot in the combustion chamber. Fuel oil is injected into the cylinder 'and against this baflle before the piston reaches its inner dead center position. More particularly, theinjected fuel is so directed against the curved'bafie that the same passes first; into the vortex and then against said bailie. Part of the injectedf uel is thus directly taken up by the vortex and never reaches the baflle, while the other part of the injected fuel reaches the hot baflle'where it becomes immediately vaporized and is carried away by the vortex. A highly combustible mixture of air and fuel oil is thus obtained which explodes instantaneously.

7 Before explaining in detail the present invention it is tobe understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is ,to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended to limit the invention claimed herein beyond the requirements ofthe prior art.

,In the drawings:

I Fig. 1 is a fragmentary section through one cylinder of an internal combustion engine which embodies the present invention,;the section being taken substantially on the line I-l of Fig. 2.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section through a cylinder of another opposed-piston type engine that embodies the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig.

6 and illustrates a modified embodiment of the present invention. a

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary section similar to Fig. and illustrates a' modified embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to the drawings, and more particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, the reference numeral In designates a water-jacketed cylinder block of which one of the cylinders is indicated at II.

' As the present invention is fully incorporated in each and every cylinder, only one cylinder will. be described in detail hereinafter. Slidable in the cylinder II is a working piston l2, having a conventional rod connection It with a crank shaft which issuitably mounted in the usual crank case (neither shown). The cylinder block i0 is provided with a. cored-out annular passage or chamber-l5 (see also Fig. 3) which surrounds each cylinder II and communicates with the latter through a plurality of ports IS in the cylinder wall H. The annular passage l5 has an inlet,"

inder head 20 which is provided with an exhaustconduit 2| leading from the interior of the cylinder H or cylinder chamber 22 into a nondisclosed exhaust manifold. through the exhaust conduit 2| is normally intercepted by an exhaust valve 23 of the poppet type I which is suitably guided in a bushing 24 and normally forced intoengagement with its seat 25 by. means of a suitably applied compression spring Communication 2s. The exhaust valve is is lifted from its seat during a predetermined portion of each piston cycle by means of a tappet 2! which is suitably journalled at 23 on top of the cylinder head 23 and actuated by a cam 29 on a shaft 33 which may be driven in any suitable manner (not disclosed) in timed relation with the crank shaft. Mounted in the cylinder block 13 is a fuel injector-32 which communicates through a conduit 33 with a suitably operated fuel pump of any conventional type (not shown).

In the present instance, the head 35 of the working piston i2 is provided with a plurality of ribs 33 whose shape and disposition is best shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4. These ribs 36 converge from adjacent the piston periphery substantially tangentially into a circular space 31 which-is partly bound by an arcuate bame '33. During the inward stroke of the piston II, the ribs 33- I force the somewhat turbulent intake air between them into the circular space 31 where it forms a vortex that brushes past the baffle 33. The

baiile '33 is furthermore so shaped and coordinated with the adjacent ribs 33:; and 33b that the, intake air between them is also forced substantially tangentially into the vortex and accelerates the same.

The intake ports l3 in the cylinder wall II are, not necessarily but preferably, arranged somewhat tangentially of the cylinder ll (Fig. 3)

so that the intake air will whirl inthe cylinder chamber 32 substantially about the cylinder axis and in an annular path of which the dot-anddash line circle a: in Fig. 3 may, for instance, be the mean diameter. Immediately after theworking' piston I! has started on its inward stroke. the whirling air in the cylinder chamber 32 will impinge on the side walls 33 of the ribs 33 and be re-directed thereby into the circular space 3! wherein the re-directed air will form a vortex. The whirling air in the cylinder chamber 22 is thus re-directed into said circular space 31 during the inward stroke of the piston, with the result that the continuously re-directed air in-.

creases the whirl of the previously re-directed air in said circular space 31 and also builds up a rapidly whirling air column directly thereabove. When the piston I! almost reaches its inner dead center position, i. e., just before fuel injection and immediate combustion take place, the air in the circular space'fl obviously attains its greatest turbulence.

In'order that the injected fuel is immediately and thoroughly atomized and forms with the vortex a highly combustiblecharge, the fuel in- I jector 32 directs the fuel stream against the hot baifle 33, whereby the fuel passes first into the vortex and is partly taken up by the same. That part of the fuel which reaches thehot baiile ta becomes immediately vaporized and is carried out leaving any residue.

away by the vortex. In this manner, the injected fuel is quickly. and so thoroughly atomized by the vortex that an instantaneous combustion will take place and all the fuel will be burned withwith an extension 330 which is sufficiently long to catch fuel particles which are thrown oi the vortex on impact with the same. By this provision no iniected fuel will reach the cylinder wall, wherefore no carbon will be deposited there.

For all intents and purposes, the ribs 36 and the baiiie 33 could be provided on the inner surface 23a (Fig. 1) of the cylinder head a, m.

which case the exhaust valve 23 would be located within the circumference of the circular space in which the vortex whirls.

Figs. 5 and 5:: illustrate a modified construction wherein ribs 33 on the cylinder head 20 fit between the ribs 33 on the head 33 of the working piston II which may be exactly like the one shown in Figs. 1 and 4. As shown in Figs. 5 and 5a, the ribs 33 are tapered downwardly toward the cylinder axis so that the air is wedged into the circular space 31 on the piston head. One of the ribs 33 on the cylinder head may also fit between the rib 38a and the baiile 33 in the manner indicated in dot-and-dash lines in Fig. 2. Of course, no rib is provided on the cylinder head to fit between the rib 33b and the bame 33 (Fig. 2) in order to keep open the fuel iniection'path from the injector 32 to the baiiie 33. I

Fig. 6 illustrates another modification in which a second or opposed piston-33 takes the place of the cylinder head 23 in theconstruction shown in Fig. 1. The two pistons (hand 33 are operated in any conventional manner, and piston I2 is for all intents and purposes exactly like the piston shown in Figs. 1 and 4. Suitably secured in the cylinder 33 is a fuel injector II which at the proper time forces a metered quantity of fuel oil into the vortex between the two pistons. The intake ports l3 inthe cylinder 33 may be arranged exactly like those in the cylinder shown in Figs. 1 and 3.. Instead of a poppet-type exhaust valve, however, the cylinder 33 is provided with exhaust ports 33 that are uncoveredby the piston 33 at the prope times.

Fig. 7 illustrates another modification which diifers from theconstruction shown in Fig. 6 by sliding the piston l3 within the skirt or sleeve 33 .of an opposed piston 33. Both pistons l2 and 63 are connected by conventional rods with the same crank shaft (not shown) in a well-known manner. Provided in the sleeve 33 of the Piston 33 are longitudinally spaced intake and exhaust ports 33 and 13, respectively, which communicate with corresponding ports II and 12, respectively, in the cylinder 13 when the piston 33 is substantially in its outer dead center position.

Fig. 8 discloses a construction which is like the one shown in Fig. 6, except that the air-redirecting ribs 33 and the baiiie 33 (Fig. 4) are provided on the heads I3 and I3 of the opposed pistons I! and II, respectively.

Fig. 9 discloses a construction which is-in all respectslikethe construction showninFig. 7, except that the head of the sleeve piston 33 is providedwith rib! 3| that lit between the ribs 33 on theheadoftheoppocedpiaton l3 whenbothpistons l3, 33 are substantially in their inner dead I claim: 1. In aninternal combustion the Com-.-

bination of a cylinder having an air-intake port and a head member; a piston member forming a chamberinsaidcrlindenoneof h wp te surfacesof'said members being provided with an arcuate bailie near its circumference and a pluralityofspacedribssotangentiallydisposedrela tivc'toapartofacylindricalspacewhose remaining part is bounded by said bailie that most of the intake air in said chamber is during the inward stroke of the piston member redirected by said ribs into said space and forms a vortex therein; and an injector in the cylinder for forcing fuel into said vortex and against said baiiie when the piston member is substantially in its inner position.

2. The combination in an internal combustion engine as set forth in claim 1, in which said baifle is furthermore so shaped and coordinated with the nearest ribs as to redirect the air therebetween into said space in the direction of the vortex.

3. The combination in. an internal combustion.

engine as set forth in claim 1, in which the in- Jector is disposed in the cylinder wall transversely of the cylinder axis and forces fuel into the vor- I tea); in the direction of its whirl and against said b I e. p A

4. m an internal combustion engine. the combination of a cylinder having an air-intake port and a head member; a piston member in' said cylinder. one of the opposite surfaces of said members being provided with a plurality of ribs so coordinated as to redirect the intake air to form .& vortex'adjacent part of said one surface during the inward stroke of said piston member and a curved bailie bounding the vortex overpart ofits periphery; and an injector'so located in the cylinder as to force fuel into. the vortex and against said baiiie' when the piston member is substantially in its inner position such that the fuel moves in the same general direction as the air in the vortex into which it passes, and said baiiiebeing extended to catch fuel particles thrown oi! the vortex on impact with the'same.

JOHN J. MCCARTHY. 

